All praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. May Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Mohammad, and upon all his family and companions.

To proceed:

So, indeed we are… and all praises are due to Allah… in this month… whomever Allah helps from amongst us, then we are upon great goodness.

For it is a noble month, which Allah, the Most High far from imperfections, made better than other months. Allah, the one far from imperfections, said:

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Saum (fasts) that month…”

[Soorah Al-Baqarah: 185]

Allah made the fasting in it obligatory and praying during its nights voluntary.

The fasting in it is the fourth pillar of Islam. The standing at night in taraaweeh and tahhajjud prayers is a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah established by him, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him.

Fasting has important rulings because it is a striving of oneself – striving of oneself against its desires. The person leaves that which he desires, what his self wants, he leaves it in obedience to Allah, the Most High far from imperfections, preferring the obedience of Allah over the obedience of his own self. He leaves that which he desires seeking to draw close to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. This is a sign of faith… this is a sign of faith… the one who chooses the obedience of Allah over the obedience to his self; this is a sign of his faith.

As for the one who is the opposite – the one who chooses obedience of oneself over the obedience of Allah, then he is a hypocrite.

So, the believer during these days knows that Allah has commanded him to leave his food, drink and (relations with) his wife; leaving these for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Then, from the Mercy of Allah, the One free from imperfections, is that He has provided for him a time in which he can enjoy these desired things which are permissible. They are impermissible during the day because of fasting, but are allowed at night.

“It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of As-Saum (the fasts)…”

Until the saying of Allah, the Most High:

“…and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Saum (fast) till the nightfall…”

[Soorah Al-Baqarah: 187]

So, He designated the fast to begin at Fajr time and end at sunset. The night is the setting of the sun.

The believer obeys Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. He breaks his fast at the time of breaking the fast. It is obligatory upon him to break his fast at the time of breaking the fast, just as it is obligatory upon him to fast at the time of fasting, because he is a slave of Allah. He obeys Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in those things that he has ordered and abstains from those things that he has prohibited.

It is not allowed for a person to continuously fast during the day and night – this is not allowed. He, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, prohibited al-wisaal (fasting continuously without breaking the fast). They said: ‘O messenger of Allah, you perform a continuous fast’. He used to perform a continuous fast, but this is from the things that were specific to him, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him. This is from the things that were specific to The Messenger. As for us, then we break our fast at the time of breaking the fast and we fast at the time of fasting.

And if a person fasts, then this does not mean that he follows (the example only) in leaving food, drink and (relations with) his wife, rather he leaves all of that which Allah has prohibited for him outside of the time of fasting, because there are things that are always prohibited and there are those things that are allowed but they are prohibited at the time of fasting only: eating, drinking and relations with the wife – these are allowed at other than the time of fasting. So, they are allowed at a given time and prohibited at a given time.

As for those things which are not allowed, such as, back-biting, tale-spreading, false speech, cursing, prohibited speech, looking at that which is prohibited and listening to that which is prohibited, these are prohibited forever and always. So, if a person does these things during the fast, then this makes his fast deficient or could invalidate the reward of his fast, so no reward remains for him with Allah. He justify his food and drink, which are allowed at other than the time of fasting, but he didn’t leave that which Allah prohibited for him at all times. That which Allah prohibited at all times, he didn’t leave it – so this one, in reality didn’t fast! He fasted from one perspective – fasted from that which Allah allowed, and he wasn’t fasting from those things that Allah prohibited! So for this one, there is no reward! His share from the fasting is just hunger and thirst, as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, stated:

“It may be that a fasting person’s portion from his fast is merely hunger and thirst”.

And, it may be that the share of the one who stands in prayer is merely staying up late. Why? Because he didn’t purify his intention for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in his standing for prayer. He stands in order to show-off and to be heard of.

“And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little”.

[Soorah An-Nisaa: 142]

Things are based upon the sincerity to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and obedience to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, as Allah ordered you to break your fast, you break it… he ordered you to fast – fast. You are a slave to Allah, the Most High far from imperfections.

What is amazing is that many people especially in our times, they fast, they fast, they leave food, drink and those apparent things that break the fast – they leave them. But, they don’t perform the prayers at their appointed times. They sleep through them – they sleep throughout the whole day! There is no Fajr prayer, no Thuhr prayer, no ‘Asr prayer! They get up at the time of breaking the fast. If the time for breaking the fast comes, they get up to eat and drink. Their prayer has been lost. These people have no fast with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. They have no fast with Allah, even though they fasted in the daytime. They justify food and drink but, they have no fast with Allah! Why? Because the one who justify the prayer, then there is no fast for him. The prayer is the second pillar of Islam and fasting is the fourth pillar. So, the fast is not accepted from the one who has neglected the prayer. These ones neglect the prayer and they fast? This will not be of any use to them and it will not benefit them with Allah, the Most High far from imperfections, until they establish the prayer. There is no religion for the one who doesn’t establish the prayer – he has no religion! Because the prayer is a pillar of Islam. It is the distinguishing factor between a Muslim and a disbeliever. The one who doesn’t pray, is a disbeliever. The one who totally abandons the prayer is a disbeliever, by the consensus of the scholars. As for the one who didn’t leave the prayer, but doesn’t offer it at the times that Allah has legislated, this one didn’t pray – he neglected his prayer:

“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times, etc.] and have followed lusts…”

[Soorah Maryam: 59]

“So woe unto those performers of Salat (prayers) (hypocrites), who delay their Salat (prayer) from their stated fixed times”.

[Soorah Al-Maa’oon: 4-5]

He named them as those who pray – they pray, but at a time which is other than the time which Allah ordered them. So they have neglected it and its prescribed time. Allah warned them with wayl and punishment – al-wayl is punishment and we seek refuge with Allah. He is punished and he prays? Yes, he is punished! He is punished and he prays, because he didn’t pray as he was ordered to do so by Allah, rather he prays as his self tells him to. This means that he is a slave to himself and his desires and not a slave to Allah, the Most High far from imperfections.

So the Muslim should be aware of these issues. He should preserve his religion, his prayers, his Zakaah, his fasting, his Hajj, his ‘Umrah, his whole religion. This is the one who is a Muslim. As for the one who establishes a part of the religion, and leaves another part, this is like the one who lives in a ruined house – it doesn’t have doors or walls! A dilapidated house! It doesn’t protect him from the heat or the cold or prevent thieves. Likewise in Islam, the one who doesn’t live upon that which Allah has ordered, then this will not benefit him, even if he is named as being upon Islam. Islam is indeed as Allah has ordered – it is submission to Allah – submission to Allah by singling him out (in worship). Subservience to him with obedience. Distancing oneself from associating partners to Allah and from the polytheists – this is Islam.

I ask Allah that he helps us to righteous speech and action. May Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Mohammad, and upon all his family and companions.

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